Today I presented His Holiness Pope Francis @Pontifex with fragments salvaged from an ancient bible which had been burned by ISIS. This is what #Kurdistan stands for: united in protecting our tradition of tolerance between different faiths from those who try to drive us apart. pic.twitter.com/HU96ffXwmN
— Masrour Barzani (@masrour_barzani) February 19, 2020
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met His Holiness Pope Francis at the Pope’s official residence in the Vatican City.
Prime Minister Barzani discussed with His Holiness the Pope the critical role the Kurdistan Regional Government has played in protecting minorities in the Kurdistan Region, including Christians, from terrorism and persecution. The Prime Minister also explained he clear legal and constitutional protections existing today in the Kurdistan Region to ensure freedom of worship of all citizens, while also discussing while discussing the challenges faced by Christians, as well as other religious minorities such as Yezidis, across the wider Middle East region. PM Barzani was delighted to take the opportunity to invite His Holiness to visit the Kurdistan Region the next time he travels to Iraq.
On his part, Pope Francis thanked PM Barzani for the leading role the KRG has taken in supporting refugees fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq, providing a haven of coexistence for all faiths, and for the leadership the KRG has taken in demonstrating a culture of tolerance and understanding towards all ethnic and religious groups.
Following his meeting with the Pope, the Prime Minister Barzan:
“It was a pleasure to meet His Holiness Pope Francis today. We discussed the challenges faced by Christians across the Middle East in the face of the evils of ISIS, and agreed that the Kurdistan Region is a beacon of tolerance – a land of co-existence – in a turbulent region. Every one of our citizens is entitled to freedom of worship and that will remain central to my government’s plans for our region’s development in the years to come.”
The accompanying KRG delegation to The Vatican included: Dana Hamasalih, Minister of Housing and Reconstruction; Ano Jawhar Abdoka, Minister of Transport and Communications; Pshtiwan Sadq, Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs; and Khalid Shwani, Minister of State.
It was a great pleasure to meet His Holiness Pope Francis @Pontifex today at the #Vatican. We discussed many regional and global concerns, including our shared belief in dialogue between different faiths as the way to promote tolerance and reduce the threat of extremism. pic.twitter.com/XAn5qGjW9S
— Masrour Barzani (@masrour_barzani) February 19, 2020